The Christmas Ball
by Briar Toren
Summary: The Christmas Ball is coming up! Hermione and Harry get unexceptional dates...and the trio learns the true meaning of friendship and love.
1. Chapter 1

I don't know, Hermione," Ron Weasley said. "Maybe you should be a doctor. Doctors make a lot of money, you know. Then you could lend me some." The tall redhead grinned hopefully at the bushy-haired girl walking beside him through the courtyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Hermione Granger gave Ron a disgusted look. "Go make your own money, _Ronald_. Although the doctor idea isn't so bad. Dr. Hermione Granger. What do you think Harry? Umm, Harry? HARRY!"  
  
Harry Potter jumped, and then grinned sheepishly at his two best friends. The wind was whipping through his already messed up black hair, showing the lightning shaped scar that he was so famous for. "Sorry, Hermione," he apologized. "Now, what did you say?" Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Never mind. Go back to dream world."  
  
But now that Harry had left, he found it hard to go back. So he started up a new conversation, one that all of the seventh years were talking about. "Have you found anyone to take to the Christmas Ball, Ron?" he asked. Ron's face fell. "No," he answered. "I want to ask Lavender, but I can never muster up the courage." Then he blushed fiercely. "Have you found anyone, Harry?"  
  
Harry shook his head. "I was going to ask Parvati, but after what happened in our fourth year, I don't think she will go with me. Any ideas?" Ron shook his head. "Nope. We are allowed to take someone younger, of course. That might be easier." Harry nodded, agreeing.  
  
Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you two. How hard can it be to go up to someone and ask them one simple little question?" Ron glared at her. "You wouldn't know, Hermione. It's always the boys ask the girls, not the other way around. And it _is _bloody hard, mind you!"  
  
Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. "Uh-huh. Hey, look Ron; there's Lavender. Hey, Lavender, could you come here for a moment?" Ron clutched Hermione's arm. "Oh, no, Hermione, no, please," he whimpered. Hermione shook off his arm and marched over to Lavender. Ron and Harry huddled in the background.  
  
"What do you think they're saying," Ron asked. Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Couldn't be too bad, though, Lavender's laughing." Ron stiffened. "That's not good, Harry... she'll say no... I know she will... why did I ever think of asking her... I am so stupid... she's laughing at me..."  
  
"Ron, shut up, Hermione's coming back over."  
  
Hermione marched back over with a grin on her face. "She said yes," Hermione announced.  
  
"See, Harry? Didn't I tell you? Didn't I tell you she would say...what?" Ron stopped and stood there staring at Hermione. She laughed. "She said yes. I said that we will be in the common room at 7:45 waiting on our dates, and she said that she will see you there. There, now, you see? All you have to do is ask."  
  
Ron stopped staring at Hermione and all of a sudden got suspicious. "Wait a minute, Hermione. You got me a date, Harry can't decide, but he will get a date. Who are you going with?"  
  
Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. She looked down at the ground and muttered a name. Ron grinned. "Can't hear you, Hermione." She raised her voice. "Neville Longbottom."  
  
Both of the boys stopped walking and stared at her, open-mouthed. Hermione took up defense. "What," she snapped. "He asked, he didn't have a date, I didn't have a date, and so I said ok, is that so bad?"  
  
She glared at them, as if she was daring them to say anything. Harry took the hint and looked away. Ron wasn't so smart.  
  
"But...but," he sputtered. "Neville Longbottom, Hermione? Couldn't you have gone with...with Dean or Seamus, or someone else like that? Neville will probably blow you up or break your foot, or something else just as bad."  
  
Hermione flared up. "For your information, Neville is a really nice guy, and he told me he took dancing lessons over the summer. And Seamus is taking Padma Patil, and Dean is going with your sister."  
  
"WHAT?!" roared Ron. "Are they on again?!" Hermione looked smug. "Well, obviously they are, or else he wouldn't be taking her."  
  
All this time, Harry had been standing off to the side, thinking about who he wanted to take to the Christmas Ball. He had learned to block out the sound of Ron and Hermione; after all, it wasn't unusual for them to be bickering.  
  
He began to look at people who were walking past, trying to decide on who he could take to the Ball. Every time he saw a girl, he could tell that she wasn't the one to go with: either she was going with someone else, or she was too young, or she just wasn't right. After about five minutes of this, he saw a blonde head, and smiled to himself.  
  
He walked over to the girl, who happened to be walking with Ginny Weasley, and muttered something in her ear. She smiled and nodded. Ginny and the girl continued walking to the castle, talking excitedly, and Harry wandered back over to his friends.  
  
Ron and Hermione hadn't even noticed that he had gone. After he had been back for a few minutes, they decided to stop shouting and go in for lunch.  
  
When they sat down at the Gryfindor table, Ron started talking about the Ball again. "So, 'Arry," he said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "We still 'ave to find you a date for de Chrispmas Ball." Harry grinned. "No, you don't, Ron, I've already found someone." Ron began to choke on his pumpkin juice.  
  
"What? When did you...how...huh?" Harry started to laugh. "Ya know, Ron, you and Hermione would really find out a whole lot more if you didn't spend so much time arguing." Ron and Hermione started to laugh too.  
  
"So, who is it, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry finished chewing his chicken before he replied. "Luna Lovegood." Ron started to choke again, this time on a piece of cornbread. Harry and Hermione pounded him frantically on the back until he could breathe again.  
  
"What has gotten into you two?" Ron asked, his eyes wide. "First I hear that Hermione is going with Neville Longbottom;" "And there is nothing wrong with that," Hermione said hotly; "And now you're going with Loony Lovegood! Am I the only one here who has any sense?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and took a drink from her goblet. "I don't know what's so wrong about Harry going with Luna, Ron. I mean, Luna is a nice girl, and at least she's stopped wearing those idiotic hats that she used to wear. And in case you haven't noticed, Ron, Slytherins are the only people who call her 'Loony Lovegood' anymore."  
  
Harry snickered into his pudding as he watched Ron turned white.


	2. Chapter 2

2 Weeks Later: December 23  
  
All of the Hogwarts students were milling outside, some talking about how they glad they were that they would be going home; the older students talking excitedly about the Ball that was to take place the next night.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry were standing beside the lake. Lavender was talking to Ron, who was blushing, not being able to form words in his mouth; Hermione and Neville, who decided that after two weeks of talking about the Christmas Ball, it was time to give it a rest, were having a heated discussion about Herbology; and Harry and Luna were talking quietly about tomorrow night.

"What are you going to wear to the Ball?" Luna asked curiously. "Because I think that it would be neat if we matched, at least a little bit." Harry felt his neck and face grow hot.

"Er...I haven't really thought about it, really. I only have three dress robes: dark blue, red, and green. It's up to you, I guess."

Luna smiled thoughtfully, her eyes running over his body. Her gaze stopped at his face. "I think that you should wear the dark blue. It really brings out the green in your eyes. And I have just the thing to go with it." And with that last bit, she turned and walked away.

Harry walked over to Hermione, who was flipping through Hogwarts, A History, as Neville had left a few minutes before. She looked up and smiled at him. He sat down beside her and shook his head. "I don't care what you say about Luna, Hermione, she is still weird in some ways."

Hermione laughed. "Everyone is weird in some ways, Harry. Take Ron for example. He still freaks every time he hears that Ginny is dating someone else. After three years, at that! And you, some people still think you're strange because you've defeated Voldemort so many times." When she saw Harry start to protest, she quickly added, "They just don't think that it's normal. No one else has survived that many times, especially when he directs an Avada Kedavra curse straight at you from just a few feet away. Anyway, some people think I'm weird because I study so much. They don't think that's normal."

Harry rolled his eyes. "All right. I get your point. Anyway she wants to color-coordinate our outfits for tomorrow night." Hermione shrugged. "So? Neville and I are too. I suggested it."

Harry stood up and sighed. "Girls," he muttered as he walked over to Ron and Lavender. Lavender saw him coming and excused herself from the boys. "What's up?" Ron asked. Harry groaned. "Luna wants our outfits to coordinate. Hermione's and Neville's will too."

Ron grinned sheepishly. "Lavender asked if we could do that too. I didn't have the heart to tell her no. At least know everyone will know that we are going together, because our outfits will match."

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione came over. "We better get inside, Harry, Ron. It's starting to snow again." The boys nodded and followed her inside.  
"So," Hermione said cheerfully. "What are you guys going to wear tomorrow night? Harry, you said that yours and Luna's outfits will match, are you and Lavender doing that too, Ron?" Not waiting for an answer, she rambled on. "This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait for tomorrow night! Can you two? ......What?"

Harry and Ron had stopped eating their dinner and were staring at Hermione; Ron with his mouth gaping, Harry with his eyebrows raised. "Hermione," Ron said slowly. "If you aren't careful, someone might think that you actually like Neville." Hermione's face got as red as Ron's hair.

"So what if I do like Neville?" she exploded. "Does that matter? Do I say anything about how much you like Lavender? No! Because it doesn't matter! So why should it matter if I like Neville?" She stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall, with everyone at the Gryffindor table staring after her. When she had rounded the corner out of sight, everyone turned and stared at Ron.

"What are you looking at?" he sneered. Everyone started eating again. Except for Neville. He came over and sat down between Ron and Harry. "What's wrong with Hermione?" he asked.

Ron looked up at him. "Who said anything was wrong with Hermione?" Neville raised his eyebrows at him.

"No one had to say anything. It was obvious by the way she blew up and then ran off. What did you say?" Ron suddenly became very interested in his Shepard's Pie; so Harry answered for him.

"Ron was just bugging Hermione about how much she likes you, Neville," Harry said, ignoring Ron's looks around Neville. Neville's face lit up. "She likes me? Really? Oh, wow, I don't know what to do. I mean, should I get her something for tomorrow night? Like flowers or something? What do you guys think?"

Ron pretended to throw up into his green beans. Harry shot him a nasty look. Then he answered the eager boy that was sitting beside him. "I think that she would like flowers, Neville. Seems to me that her favorite is violets. That would be nice if you get her some."

Neville nodded excitedly, and as everyone left to go to his or her common rooms, he ran off to find some violets.

Harry and Ron found Hermione in the common room, working on her Muggle Studies essay. It was already five rolls of parchment, and she was working on her sixth.

"Honestly, Hermione, I don't understand why you take Muggle Studies every year. I mean, you're already a Muggle," Ron stated as he plunked down in one of the squishy armchairs by the glowing fire. "And besides," he continued, "it's the holidays. Why are you working on homework?"

Hermione answered him, but didn't look up. "I, unlike some people, prefer to finish my work in advance, so I can enjoy the rest of the holidays. And I, unlike some people, will have time to relax the last day of the holidays, instead of trying to get my homework done by 7 o' clock the next morning, which some people end up doing."  
Ron raised his eyebrows at her. "Uh-huh. So, Hermione, Neville found out somehow that you like him, so if he starts acting all weird and stuff, you'll know why." Hermione slammed her book shut, gathered up her essay, quill, and ink, and stormed up to the girl's dormitory.

Ron looked at Harry in confusion. "What did I say?"


	3. Chapter 3

December 24  
  
7:35 p.m.  
  
"Where can she be?" Neville asked nervously. Harry and Ron were sitting in chairs in front of the fire, watching Neville pace back and forth in front of them. Neville was dressed in red dress robes, carrying a giant bouquet of violets. He had put a spell on them so that they would grow to three times their normal size, and last for up to a month after being picked. He had also transformed them from purple to white, insisting that whit would go better with the color of their robes. He had attempted to slick back his hair, but there were still spots where his hair stood up.  
  
Ron looked at Harry and rolled his eyes. Ron was wearing purple dress robes, and hadn't done anything with his hair, except for combing it. He sat in his chair, drumming is fingers on the arm impatiently. Harry was sitting beside him, decked out in dark blue robes, his hair as untidy as ever, but he was waiting patiently for Luna.

Harry got tired of hearing Neville go on and on about 'where Hermione could be.' "Neville, it's only 7:38. They said that they would be ready at 7:45, so just calm down, all right? They'll be here soon."

Neville nodded and sat down on the couch beside Ron's chair. Ron was still drumming his fingers.

"Um, Ron?" Harry asked. "Could you maybe please stop that? The only good it's doing is giving me a good headache." Ron looked down at his hand, and then looked back up at Harry. "Sorry, Harry. It's just that I'm so nervous. I mean I never thought that Lavender would be going to the Christmas Ball with me. And so now I'm a nervous wreck."

"Why are you so nervous?" came a voice from behind Ron. Ron, Harry, and Neville all whipped around. The girls were standing on the staircase, looking down at them. Neville felt his heart flutter as he looked at Hermione, who was wearing blood red robes with gold edging, her hair twisted grandly up into a bun on the top of her head, soft curls framing her face. Her eyes were covered in gold powder, making them seem bigger and bluer than ever. Red lipstick was on her lips, matching her dress robes.

Ron was busy looking at Lavender. Her robes were true to her name, the softest shade of lavender that there was. Her robes were elegantly made, with a slit all the way up the left side to her hip. Her hair was sleek and straight, with a few curls here and there. She was wearing purple eye shadow, with a shiny lavender gloss.

And as beautiful as the two girls looked, Harry had eyes only for Luna. She was last out of the girls' dormitory, standing grandly behind Hermione, smiling down at him. She was wearing robes of the darkest blue, with flowing sleeves and a low neck, complete with silver edging and lining. Her hair, normally so straight and ordinary, was a massive bunch of curls fastened with a silver clip at the base of her neck. Her lips were a silvery frosty color; dark blue and silver powder was on her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, her eyes shining brightly. Harry thought that she looked the most beautiful of all.

Of course that's what Ron thought about Lavender, and Neville of Hermione.

Lavender descended the staircase, the other two girls behind her. She went up to Ron, and looped her arm through his, then climbed out of the portrait hole. Hermione followed suit, smiling fondly at Neville as she accepted the snow-white violets he offered her, making his cheeks turn the color of his robes. Then they too climbed out of the portrait hole.

Harry and Luna were left alone in the common room. Harry cleared his throat. "You look very beautiful tonight, Luna." She beamed up at him. "You look very handsome yourself." Harry extended his arm. "Shall we?" Luna took his arm, and they climbed through the portrait hole to join their friends.

They found their friends down outside the Great Hall, waiting for the doors to open. They walked over to a group that consisted of Ron, Lavender, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, Parvati, Dean, and Ginny. Everyone was talking and laughing. When they joined their friends circle, Seamus looked at Luna and let loose a low whistle.

"Hey, Luna, looking good, looking good," he complimented her. Luna blushed, and Seamus received a sharp kick in the shin from Parvati. "You're here with me, Seamus, remember?" she hissed.

Harry chuckled, and just then the doors opened to the Great Hall. Everyone started piling in, grabbing on to their dates so that they wouldn't lose them in the mad rush toward the doors.

The Great Hall was decorated beautifully. Red and green streamers were hung festively on the walls, and Christmas confetti was falling from the ceiling. There were four huge Christmas trees, one in each corner, each one decorated differently. One had the Gryffindor colors on it, and another had Ravenclaw colors. One was decorated the Hufflepuff way, and yet another was Slytherins.

Students were milling around the giant room, talking and laughing, waiting for the music to start. Dumbledore clapped his hands, and everyone fell silent.

"Welcome to the Christmas Ball. I'm sure that you don't want to stand here listening to an old man's ramblings, so let the music begin!" With that, music began to fill the air, students looking around to find its source. In the back corner in the room, instruments were playing by themselves. Everyone laughed, and began to dance.

Harry took Luna's hand and led her out onto the dance floor. They started dancing beside Ron and Lavender. Ron's face was red as Neville's robes. Lavender was laughing and having a good time. Harry could just make out Hermione and Neville across the room, sitting on a bench and chatting merrily.

Two hours later, Ron, Lavender, Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Neville were all dancing in a group, when a slow song came on. They paired up with their dates and started dancing. Harry and Luna were dancing at a safe distance from each other, but not too far apart. Ron and Lavender were a little closer, but not much, and Ron was still blushing fiercely. Hermione was snuggled into Neville's chest, looking extremely happy, and Neville's chin was resting on her head.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice sneered in Harry's ear. The group turned and found themselves face-to-face with Draco Malfoy.


	4. Chapter 4

**_B_**ug off, Malfoy," Harry growled. "We don't want to deal with any of your crap tonight." Malfoy's face contorted into his famous sneer.

"What's the matter, Potty? Don't want to get into a fight in front of your Loony Lover?" Luna's face flushed.

Draco turned to Neville and Hermione next. "And here we have Mr. Longbottom dancing with, oh my, a Mudblood." Hermione clenched her fists, and stepped closer to Neville. Harry saw Ron start to reach inside his robes. Harry shook his head no.

Then Malfoy turned to Ron and Lavender. "Ah, the Weasel. Dancing with, goodness, ANOTHER Mudblood. Tsk, tsk. What is becoming of the wizarding world today?" Ron finally lost control. With a roar he leapt at Malfoy.

Lavender let out a little squeak that nobody heard. Harry grabbed at Ron and missed, then yelled, "Ron, NO!"

But Ron wasn't listening to anyone. He was sitting on Malfoy's chest, punching every part of him that he could reach. Pansy Parkinson was standing in the background, looking horrified that her date was getting beat up by a Weasley.

"Mr. Weasley," a voice rang out. "Stop this instant!" Harry looked up to see Professor McGonagall. When Ron didn't pay her any mind and kept beating Malfoy, McGonagall reached down and pulled him up by the collar. By now, a crowd of students and teachers had gathered around the two boys and McGonagall.

"Lemme at 'im," Ron growled, fists flying every which way. McGonagall was taking great care to not get hit. "Let...me...at...him!" Malfoy, blood rushing from his nose and mouth, with bruises starting to form around his eyes and on his cheekbones, half crawled and half stumbled behind Pansy.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply. "He called Lavender a...a..." Harry spoke up. "He called Lavender a Mudblood, Professor. He called Hermione one, too." Neville started nodding furiously. Everyone who was crowded around them gasped and started murmuring to each other. McGonagall dropped her hold on Ron and turned to Malfoy.

"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, her eyebrows raised, holding out her arm to stop Ron from leaping on Malfoy again.

"Well, uh...well...look what he did to me, Professor!" Malfoy gestured frantically at his face, panic flashing in his eyes.

"Answer the question, Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Draco looked down at his feet and nodded. "I see," McGonagall said briskly. "Mr. Malfoy, you will catch the train first thing tomorrow morning to go home." She turned away.

Malfoy looked up astonishment written clearly in his eyes. "But...but Professor! Look at what Weasley did to me! And _I'm _the one who gets sent home?" McGonagall turned back around. "I will deal with Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, and how I deal with him is my business. I think that you had better go see Madam Pomfrey about those bruises. Mr. Weasley, come with me, please."

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Lavender shook her head for him to be quiet, and pushed him gently toward McGonagall. "I'll see you in the common room later," she whispered. Ron shut his mouth and nodded. He then followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall.

The music started playing again, and everyone cleared out. The group could see Malfoy stalking out of the Great Hall, Pansy at his side, her mouth going a mile a minute.

When Draco reached the doors, he stomped out of them, and slammed them behind him so Pansy couldn't follow him. She turned on her heel and walked off in a huff.

With everyone dancing, only Harry, Luna, Hermione, Neville, and Lavender were left at the site of the fight. Lavender was looking down at her feet. A tear rolled down her cheek and fell on the otherwise spotless floor below. Hermione saw this and rushed over to her friend.

"Oh, Lavender, it'll be okay. I'm sure Ron won't get into to much trouble; after all, Malfoy was the one who did the only wrong thing. That was horrible of him to say that. And Ron was only defending you. So everything will be all right."

Luna walked over and put her arm around Lavender's shoulders. "Hermione's right, Lavender. We shouldn't let Malfoy mess up our evening. That would just make our day. Let's try to forget about it for now, and try to have a good time, okay?"

Lavender nodded her head and wiped her eyes. "It just won't feel the same without Ron here. I hope he's okay. McGonagall won't be to hard on him, will she, do you think?"

Luna and Hermione led Lavender away, still consoling her, telling her that Ron would be fine, after all, he didn't even get hit.

That left Harry and Neville standing alone in the middle of the dance floor, people dancing all around them.

"Well," Harry said. "That wasn't too bad. Malfoy got in trouble, anyway. But there'll probably be a letter from his father the day that he gets home, though. But Ron did the right thing; don't you think so, Neville? Umm...Neville?"

Neville was standing stock-still, staring at the doors Malfoy had just exited through. His fists were clenched at his sides, and his eyes were shooting fire.

Harry stepped into Neville's line of vision. "Neville, what's wrong? Malfoy just got suspended, we should be celebrating. Why are you looking like that?"

Neville still hadn't moved. "I'll get him," he said through clenched teeth. "I'll get him for calling Hermione that. He'll be sorry, I swear he will. I swear it." Harry looked at his friend, worry written all over his face. This wasn't the Neville that he knew. The Neville that he knew was calm and quiet. He got flustered and upset over a few things, but that had hardly ever happened. Harry couldn't remember a time that Neville was ever mad, not even when Snape picked on him, or Malfoy and his gang made fun of him and taunted him in front of his classmates. No, all of those times Neville had just sat there and looked down at his desk or his shoes, never saying a word.

Harry finally managed to speak. "Hey, Neville, it'll be okay. Malfoy's suspended, we don't have to spend the rest of the holidays with him around." Harry didn't mention that there was a good chance that they would have to spend the holidays without Ron, either. He chose not to think about that part.

Neville looked at Harry, fury still in his eyes. "I told you, Harry, I'll get him. He'll be sorry he even thought of calling Hermione that. I swear my life on it."


End file.
